


Edge of Overmorrow

by Blutstrom, Furious_Pines



Category: (references to) - Fandom, Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5
Genre: (NOT FROM P5R), (Only in flashbacks), (Ren can speak it thanks to Arsene), (THERE IS NO P5R HERE), (Translations are in the notes for each chapter), (i'm not joking there is no P5R here), Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Canonical Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Flashbacks, Français | French, Gen, New Game Plus, New Personas, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shido Masayoshi's A+ Parenting, Sojiro Sakura's Actual A+ Parenting, Solitary Confinement, Time Loop, Vomiting, new palaces
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 19:42:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21415612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blutstrom/pseuds/Blutstrom, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Furious_Pines/pseuds/Furious_Pines
Summary: Amamiya can't remember the last time he cared. Turning thirty-nine years old and being stuck as a seventeen year old repeating your second year will do that to you, he supposes. The six months of Juvenile Hall beforehand, and the year of life-or-death combat against a god is simply the cherry on the fuck-all sundae.(The long awaited remake of Edge of Tomorrow, the 22 chapter long collab fic in which Ren Amamiya is trapped in a timeloop of the entire year (and six months if you count juvie) that Persona 5 takes place in.)
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Isshiki Wakaba, Amamiya Ren & Lavenza (Persona Series), Amamiya Ren & Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Amamiya Ren & Sakura Sojiro, Amamiya Ren & Suzui Shiho, Isshiki Wakaba/Sakura Sojiro, Suzui Shiho/Takamaki Ann
Comments: 125
Kudos: 515





	1. Turn Into The Void

** “ғσя нσω ℓσηg ∂σ үσυ ιηтεη∂ тσ кεερ υρ тнιs ғυтιℓε яεsιsтαηcε?”** Yaldabaoth’s grating voice echoed out, his metal parts and gears whirring and creaking as he moved around his fragile throne in the sky.

Ren stood, shaking, on that pitiful glass stage. He wasn’t alone, not like last time, but he wasn’t sure how long it was going to stay that way. His last attempt… What a spectacular failure that was. The old scar trailing down his shoulder throbbed with a sharp pain, the thick warmth trailing down his arm a testament to just how hard he’d been fighting for this to end.

For it all to end.

Gunshots echoed around him, the sickening smell of iron invading his senses as his blood slowly oozed onto the cold platform beneath his feet. He swayed, the world blurring around him as he retreated into his mind, unable to comprehend that he was here, that this body even _ belonged _to him.

His blood mixed with ash as flames blazed around him, lightning dancing around him in blinding arcs. Frost encroached on the crimson puddle as a disk of green and black hovered above, an axe-wielding figure tearing through enemies in the corners of his vision.

_ I turned thirty-nine this year, _Ren thought to himself as his ears began to ring. He had done this dance and played this game fifteen times, if you included the current loop he was in. 

Current loop.

Ren stared his captor in the eye as the world came back into focus. It wasn’t too late, Yaldabaoth hadn’t realized he was cornered yet. _ He could still win this. _ With the help of the thieves, he could finally end the loops. The eternal, endless suffering that this… _ False god _ put him through. He raised his dagger while grasping his mask-

** “үσυ ∂ι∂η'т тнιηк тнαт ι ωσυℓ∂η'т нαvε α ғιηαℓ тяιcк υρ мү sℓεεvε, тнαт үσυ ωσυℓ∂ αcтυαℓℓү вεαт мε... ∂ι∂ үσυ?”**

-And froze as he heard the familiar slam and screech of metal against the ground, and the same dark, menacing voice that thundered and echoed throughout the sky for what felt like the hundredth time.

** _"ƬЄMƤƲƧ ЄƧƬ ƦЄƜƖƝƊ."_ **

Ren felt the world shudder as his head began to throb, as if someone were pounding the inside of his skull like a drum. He let the tension in his bones unravel as he slowly fell apart, dropping his weapon in resignation. Tilting backwards, he let himself fall before being caught by gentle arms as his friends cried out around him.

Ren looked up at the dazzling gold crown of hair above him, tears falling from the sockets of a metal skull, before he felt the soft hands holding him up dissolve. His falling resumed as his surroundings turned dark, and he entered the void…

...Before he opened his eyes, and Ren found himself in the same hellish alley he began each of the past twenty-two years he’s been alive. He moved forward with a heavy sigh, and a gentle sob that held his broken and beaten will escaped his lips when the same cry for help he answered just a year and six months ago echoed from the street just around the corner.

Turning the corner, Ren stared the very man who started this endless torture dead in the eyes as he barked at a struggling woman to get into an intimidating black limo. As he approached the two, the man finally noticed his presence, flipping him off with one hand as he held his unwilling victim in the other. 

Ren felt an all too familiar fury bubble and overflow in his chest as his breathing sped up to a level not unlike hyperventilation. He cracked his knuckles and made a fist with his right hand, before stalking over and gently shoving the woman to the side.

_ "Encore une fois, je retourne dans le vide." _

  
Preparing himself for another six months in Juvenile Hall, Ren reeled his arm back, and with all his strength, threw his fist forward and socked Shido Masayoshi in the_ goddamn face._

* * *

Ren jolted awake as the train came to a stop, wheezing as he choked on rising panic. He felt the other passengers begin to stare as he got up and quickly shuffled out of the packed compartment, not due to embarrassment, but simply because he didn’t want the train to leave the station before he could escape.

Ren had been through this same situation too many times to care anymore. In a daze, he walked the long-since memorized trail to Yongen, coming to a stop just outside the familiar neighborhood. As he stared down the crowded street, it occurred to Ren that most of these people didn’t even feel like people to him anymore; every time he talked to them, they always had the same things to say with little to no variation. It was almost like they were NPCs in a very dull, repetitive, and pointless video game.

_ And now I’m thinking like Futaba. Great. _ Shaking his head, Ren made the rest of the trek to Leblanc, honestly just wanting to see his old room. He wasn’t necessarily looking forward to spending all day cleaning _ again _ but he also didn’t have much choice in that matter.

** _ Rather angry this time around, aren’t we, Petit Rebelle?_ **

“Mock me and I fuse you with Mara,” Ren hissed quietly.

** _ Touchy, touchy, _ ** Arsene chuckled, ** _ You’re starting to resemble La Petite Chienne Bleue._ **

“Low blow, and not even remotely accurate.”

** _ Hmm, you’re right. Her temper is almost charming in a way. Yours on the other hand…_ **

“Okay, you know what you overgrown mis-colored pigeon-”

** _ Yes, you 39-year-old bastard stuck in an 17-year-old little shit?_ **

“I… Go suck off a snail, you whore pigeon.”

** _ I’d like to point out that you are literally talking to yourself right now._ **

“Oh and you aren’t?”

** _ ...Touché. Enough of this prattle it’s time to go introduce yourself to your father again. _ **

“You know I have a real fa- you know what, nevermind.”

** _ Hmmmmmm?_ **

“Oh my gods, I can _ hear _ your smug little laugh in that,” Ren scoffed, his expression of distaste turning serious once more as he turned the final corner leading to Leblanc. He paused before the door for a moment, wondering if he should’ve brought a gift, before remembering that the first time he tried that, Sojiro thought it was something of a bribe, and became twice as hard to talk to until they’d cleared Futaba’s Palace.

When Ren had tried it again with coffee in the following loop, the man refused to speak to him for an entire month. Stingy old buzzard. As he entered the door, the scene before him - at this point - despite having been played out so many times, it still never failed to make him feel at least a little nostalgic. 

"Je n'ai jamais dit au revoir, n'est-ce pas?" He murmured softly, his serious demeanor beginning to fall apart.

Ren’s expression softened further as he saw Sojiro peacefully cleaning out a coffee mug before he set it aside. He briefly checked his watch, a look of worry distorting his calm demeanor as he likely fretted over Futaba in silence, before going back to his crossword puzzle as he steadfastly ignored the news station playing on the TV.

“-transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with passengers still inside. Citizens worry about the clear disruption in the peace of the city-”

“How very frightening,” An elderly customer commented mildly.

“Didn’t something like this happen just yesterday?” A woman Ren presumed was the customer’s wife softly murmured.

Sojiro sighed, before grabbing a remote from behind the counter to turn off the TV.

“It’s not like worrying over it will help predict or prevent it,” He grumbled, “So I’d rather not know about it in the first place.”

Ren gently stepped forward, jolting as the door shut without his foot to hold it open, the bell attached to the top echoing a pitiful little ring. Sojiro looked up at the sound, before taking in Ren’s appearance. Recognition flashed across his face.

“Oh right, they did say that was today,” Sojiro said to himself as the elderly couple left their payment and thanked him for the coffee, “So, you’re Ren?” Well this was a script he knew by heart by now.

“That’s me. I take it you're Sakura-san?” Ren answered.

“That’s right. I’m Sojiro Sakura. You’ll be in my custody for the next year,” Sojiro looked him up and down, “I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you’re the one, huh? Have you been told? A customer of mine is a friend of your parents and - well, not that that matters. Follow me.”

As Ren followed up the stairs, Arsene piped up once more.

** _ What was it you said Petit Rebelle? “Encore une fois, je retourne dans le vide”?_ **

“No kidding,” Ren said under his breath. The attic only seemed to get filthier each time he saw it.

“You say something kid?” Sojiro called down.

“Nothing, Boss-” He choked, realizing his mistake the second he made it. He really needed to stop doing that.

The man snorted, turning to give Ren a funny look.

“Hey, it’s fine. Most people call me that anyway. Guess I just have one of those faces.”

“I guess so.”

Sojiro sighed, giving Ren a weary look.

“I ain’t gonna bite, kid. If anything, I was under the impression that you _ would _.”

“You punch out one drunk asshole and suddenly everyone thinks you’re gonna bite their head off,” Ren muttered.

“Kid, you nearly broke the guy’s jaw,” He growled, “By all accounts you went overboard.”

“Possibly,” Ren said, “I’d been having a bad day, but he was probably going to rape-” Sojiro flinched. That was new. “-that woman. Way I see it, he got off easy.”

“...And while we’re on that subject, there are some ground rules. You come straight here after school, and no going out at night.”

“And if I were to join a club or something?”

“Kid, no offense but I sincerely doubt any club’s going to want you. Even if your record is classified you have the general disposition of a distinctly pissed off badger.”

“Six months in juvie and then being shipped off miles away from home will do that to you,” Ren huffed, nervously fidgeting with his hair as he tried to avoid thinking of-

_ The guard roughly shoved you into the small concrete cell that was about as wide as you were long, your back roughly colliding with the small metal cot. You wheezed as air was forced from your lungs by the impact, the pain making you curl into yourself as you lay motionless on the ground._

_ “I- I’m s- sorry,” you sobbed, “Please d- don’t put me in h- here again- PLEASE-” _

That, thinking of that. Ren let out a shaky breath he didn’t realize he was holding, hoping it was quiet enough that Sojiro hadn’t noticed, though the look of concern the man was giving him had made it obvious that hope was misplaced. A throbbing pain in his scalp alerted him to a few small black hairs he had ripped out in his panic.

_ Well shit. _

“You alright there?” Sojiro gruffly mumbled, concern evident no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

“Yeah, mostly,” Ren half-lied, his voice quiet, “Guess it all just kinda... Didn’t feel real until I got here.”

“Well, I suppose I can understand that,” Sojiro rubbed the back of his neck, “Your situation is pretty daunting once you stop and think about it, try not to think about it.” He paused for a moment, the silence palatable, before he huffed, “Well, I’ve got work to do. I’ll come tell you when I lock up for the night, so make yourself at home in the meantime. Maybe even clean the place up a bit.”

Ren shrugged awkwardly, both standing there for a moment, until Sojiro quickly shuffled downstairs. Grabbing a dustpan and a broom, he rolled up his sleeves and his pant legs before getting to work.

* * *

It had taken Ren all day, (again,) but he’d finally gotten his room cleaned up and made into an actual livable space in which he wasn’t constantly breathing in a layer of dust thick enough to coat the walls of his lungs like a woolen blanket (also again).

Just as he had begun to admire his work, Ren felt exhaustion seep into his bones and weigh him down, as if someone had suddenly decided to drop a sack of bricks on him. He had forgotten just how out of shape he was at the beginning of the year. He heard footsteps as Sojiro ascended the stairs.

“I heard a lot of noise coming from up here, but I didn’t think you’d actually be cleaning,” He took in the now significantly cleaner room and nodded in approval, “Not bad at all. Though I suppose it’s only natural you’d want your room to be clean. Anyway, like I said before I need to lock up for the night. Remember no going out, you hear me? One toe out of line and you’re out of here.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Boss sir,” Ren said with a lazy salute, collapsing onto his bed.

“Hmph, cheeky punk,” Sojiro muttered before going back downstairs.

“Don’t forget to flip the sign,” Ren said.

“Excuse me?” Sojiro asked in a warning tone.

“The sign. On the door. I’m honestly too tired to move right now so I don’t think I’d be able to go downstairs and flip it without hurting myself,” He sleepily remarked, the words a bit slurred and muffled by the mattress.

Sojiro scoffed, failing to hide his growing smirk, “You know you’re pretty bratty for someone in your position.”

“Oh yeah, all the guys at juvie loved my stand-up routine.” 

“Go to bed kid, you’re delirious!” Sojiro yelled, already halfway down the stairs.

Ren wheezed softly, pressing his face deep into his pillow, before sleep finally took him.

* * *

** _ SLAM!_ **

“Wake up, Inmate!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> "Encore une fois, je retourne dans le vide." = "Once again, I'm returning to the void."
> 
> Petit Rebelle = Little Rebel
> 
> La Petite Chienne Bleue = The Little Blue Dog/The Little Blue Bitch (Can be interpreted as either >;3)
> 
> "Je n'ai jamais dit au revoir, n'est-ce pas?" = "I never said goodbye, did I?"


	2. Fool's Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit that word count got out of hand
> 
> IMPLIED RAPE WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER
> 
> starts at “This is for Shiho,” and ends before "Ren choked on air."
> 
> not vital to the story, feel free to skip if it triggers anything!!! iiiiii don't wanna cause flashbacks that aren't ren's today.

** _ SLAM!_ **

“Wake up, Inmate!” An incredibly childish and familiar voice demanded.

Not even bothering to get up from his cot, or even open his eyes for that matter, Ren raised two hands in the air and flipped the little brat off.

“How incredibly rude,” An eerily calm and familiar voice admonished, “This prisoner will be particularly difficult to train, won’t it?”

“I’d have to agree with you,” A deep rumble of a voice mocked, one all too familiar to Ren as he felt fury build in his chest.

“Quite rude to wear a face that doesn’t belong to you, isn’t it?” Ren retorted, “Your voice doesn’t even match, it’s like you aren’t even _ trying. _”

“Quiet Inmate!” Caroline screeched, “Don’t speak to our Master in such a callous tone!”

The following chuckle made Ren flinch.

“Now how could you claim to know such a thing if you haven’t even opened your eyes yet?”

Ren knew that the Velvet Room was a cell, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep himself together if he had to stare at the inside of a room that so closely resembled what solitary confinement had looked like.

“I don’t need to torture myself by having to look at your shitty dollar store costume of a disguise, especially since I’d recognize the smell of your dingy rusting metal anywhere, _ Yaldabaoth. _”

Ren could feel the fury coming from the faux deity following the shock that sent him into silence, clearly unsure as to how he could’ve been found out so early on, especially by one he’d consider beneath him.

“...Yaldabaoth? What is he talking about Master-”

Ren heard Justine cut-off mid sentence as a gust of freezing wind nearly blew him off his feet, followed by the slam of hands against old, rusty metal. He could feel the Igor-lookalike lean his head in and _ breathe _ on him, the bitter, iron smelling air causing his hair to stand on end as his skin erupted in goosebumps. 

“O- Oh? That piss you off, you e- enormous jizz cup?”

Ren felt the cotton fibers of the faux man’s gloves press into the nape of his neck, nails pressed hard enough that he could feel them claw the length of his spine through the fabric, could feel every exhale from that towering monster cause stands of his hair to flutter upon his head.

** “ιт ωσυℓ∂ ∂σ үσυ ωεℓℓ ησт тσ тεsт мε, ** **вσү** **.”**

_ “This is for Shiho,” You quietly reassured yourself as the office door slammed shut behind you, preventing your escape. “Ann won’t awaken without a victim to protect,” You softly murmured to yourself as a large hand rested on the nape of your neck, the touch feeling as though it burned you. “She died because of you,” You furiously hissed at yourself as he roughly shoved you onto his desk, wrapping his filthy, dirty arms around you as his breath made your hair flutter. _

_ You don’t want this, you sobbed in your mind. _

_ You need to be punished for your failures, you growled in your head. _

_ You didn’t do well enough and this is the price, you numbly thought to yourself. _

_ You numbly _ t̴̬͎͐̈h̵̗͉͐ȉ̵̢̅ṉ̵͇̕ḵ̴̑̒ _ to yourself. _

_ “You’re pretty enough I guess, for a _ _ boy _ _ .” _

Ren choked on air. An angry sob built up in his throat as he felt fingers dig into his shoulder, causing him to reach out blindly, before he grabbed the imposter by his lengthy faux nose, using it to yank him low enough to press his forehead against the other’s.

“I haven’t been a boy in _ years. _ I am your _ worst fucking nightmare _ and you will address me as such, _ piss rag _,” Ren hissed furiously, before he yanked Yaldabaoth further down and aimed to kick him in his shiny bald head. He missed due to his lack of sight, feeling his bare foot connect with an inhumanly large eye. He shuddered at the wet, squishy feeling on his heel even as malicious euphoria built in his chest. 

** _ Let us rain hellfire, Petit Rebelle._ **

Ren began to softly giggle as his dug his foot into the soft, balloon-like flesh, before it grew into full-blown hysterical laughter as he forced one last shove into the socket and stumbled backwards. He felt flames consume his face without burning, a gentle warmth that licked and caressed his skin and bones, his eyes heated to a near unbearable degree.

“Dear God,” Ren began in a listless, breathy tone, “The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are just somebody’s unholy hoax, a shameful deception of the masses...” 

Ren placed a hand over his heart and draped the other over his forehead in a look of close-eyed distress, a mockery of the pose a damsel-in-distress might make, while a huffy sounding whine escaped him. His sorrowful expression then turned malicious as he smirked and opened his feral yellow eyes. Molten, liquid gold leaked from him like tears, dripping down the length of his face to pool upon the cold stone floor. The bright blue flame encompassing the upper half of his face extinguished to reveal a sharp, obsidian black mask, crimson and silver accented silhouettes of spider lilies around the sockets. 

Caroline and Justine cowered from the two in horror as they held each other close, desperately scrambling behind the large desk that sat looming in the middle of the room. In their urgence, one of the two had accidentally knocked the lamp over, causing Yaldabaoth, who had gotten up by then, to turn towards the noise. Ren briefly grabbed him by what little hair he had, only to slam his head into the cell bars. After he gained the attention he was seeking, he let his arms fall to his sides.

“And if there’s one thing I don’t believe in, ** _it’s you.”_ **

Ren clenched his fists around the top of the mask, his thumbs just barely avoiding his eyes as he anchored them in the sockets. Blood dripped down his hands as the sharp edges of the glass-like material cut into his palms, his heavy, labored breathing slowed until it stopped entirely.

** _ I’ve always detested L'or Des Fous._ **

With a demonic, agonized scream of rage, Ren tore the crystalline mask from his face, rending flesh from bone as pools and sprays of warm fiery crimson mixed with molten liquid gold. The taste of iron and honey danced on his tongue as the fluids flooded from his eyes.

“Come, _ ARSENE- _”

The screech of metal against metal deafened Ren as a long rusty arm of steel burst from Yaldabaoth’s faux flesh, only to close around his throat and cut him off as he wheezed from the force of the claw connecting with his windpipe. Wine red tendrils throbbed and extended, burrowing themselves in his eyes and mouth like roots as he scratched at his eldritch collar. He could hear Arsene scream in disgust, before it turned into a monstrous, raspy howl of rage.

** “Ɩ ƜƖԼԼ ƊƦƛƓ ƳƠƲ ƖƝƬƠ ƊЄƤƬӇƧ ƜӇЄƦЄ ƝƠƬ ЄƔЄƝ ƬӇЄ ԼƖƓӇƬ ƠƑ ƊƛƳ ƜƖԼԼ ƦЄƛƇӇ ƳƠƲ.”**

Ren stared dead into the void-like depths that rested in the quickly unraveling skull before him and _ screeched _an inhuman, horrible sound that echoed with feral rage not even the false god could match. He clamped his fists around the metal arm and crushed it with all his might, the flesh on his palms sliced open by the sharp warped edges.

** _ “ƳƠƲ ƦЄƬƇӇЄƊ ƜƠƦM!” _ **Yaldabaoth’s scream akin to the sound that emanated from his rusty, damaged limb, but nothing could beat the pure horror that warped the final remnants of Igor’s melting flesh upon his true form when he saw pitch black chains erupt from the creature of a child before him.

Crouched upon his hands and knees, Ren spat blood on the cracked and broken floor of his cell. He raised his eyes to meet Yaldabaoth’s face, a dark bruise already having begun to appear around his neck in a perfect circle, and the wine red tendrils glew ominously and framed his face in shadow. The obsidian chains shattered like glass into hundreds of miniscule pieces-

** _ “COME, SATANAEL!”_ **

-And so did the Velvet Room itself.

* * *

** **

The first three things Ren did after he woke up was tumble down the stairs, struggle to get to the restroom, and vomit violently. His knees bruised from hitting the floor, h̷a̸r̴d̶e̵r̶ ̶t̸h̸a̷n̴ ̸y̸o̶u̷ ̸d̵i̷d̶ ̴f̴o̷r̵ ̴h̴i̶m̴, and his fists turned white from clenching the edges of the seat so hard. He looked up to find a bottle of mouthwash, to which he promptly filled his mouth with to wash the taste of iron and honey from his tongue.

Just as Ren began to stare at a now old looking bruise around his neck, he jolted as a knock echoed from the door.

“You alright in there kid?” Sojiro questioned, his gruff voice betraying concern, “We’ve gotta meet your principal today, somethin’ about ‘unusual circumstances.’”

Ren couldn’t help but smirk vindictively as he thought back to one of the years where he had tried to choke the morbidly obese and _ extremely _ sorry excuse for a principal, his incredibly thick neck and many chins making the task near impossible. It also made the creation of the Phantom Thieves a lot more difficult than the assault itself was worth.

Besides that… He really shouldn’t have been reminiscing on when he attacked a man.

“Coming,” He wheezed.

The car ride to Shujin was… awkward to say the least. With the combination of Sojiro straddling the line between not wanting to show any caring and clearly wanting to ask if Ren was alright, Ren’s refusal to offer up answers himself, and what he could tell was a quickly growing fever that began to turn his face a soft pink, the atmosphere in the car was just a tad tense.

“Your school’s in the Aoyama district,” Sojiro grumbled, “Since this’ll be the only time I’m driving you there, you’d better memorize the train schedule and routes so you can get there on your own next time.”

“S’not the first time I’ve been here...” Ren mumbled, exhausted from the effort it took to appear somewhat healthy.

“Huh, that a fact?” Sojiro remarked, “I was under the impression you’d never been to Tokyo before.”

Ren jolted awake at the realization of what he’d said.

“I uh, I got on the wrong train yesterday. Kinda got lost.”

_ Nice save, _ he thought, before he mentally pat himself on the back. The internal celebration ceased when the car abruptly screeched to a halt, which caused him to gag as nausea overwhelmed him from the resulting jerk his stomach had to endure.

“Wait, _ what?!” _Sojiro exclaimed, looking as if he were about to burst a blood vessel, “Why didn’t you call me?!”

_ Bad save, BAD SAVE- _

“Boss, I don’t have your phone number,” Ren said quickly as he tried to swallow down whatever non-existent breakfast his body tried to eject. Technically not a lie.

“Your parents or your probation officer were supposed to give you my information!”

“Well they absolutely did not do that,” He scoffed, beginning to grow defensive, “I got your address, your name, and basically nothing else.”

“You’re telling me you didn’t even know you were supposed to meet me at Leblanc?”

“I didn’t even know what Leblanc _ was _ until I got here. The mailman outside your house told me where to go.”

“Oh that’s-!” Sojiro took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, “I’m going to be having a _ long _talk with your probation officer about this.”

“It’s not like it matters now,” Ren murmured, a panicked lilt to his tone.

“It’s the _ principle _ of the matter!” Sojiro said, “You’ve lived in the country your whole life, how are you supposed to navigate this city on your own?”

“I just- I really don’t want to get in trouble over something so minor,” He blurted out, “I’m pretty sure someone will spin it that I tried to ditch you to get out of my probation.”

Sojiro let out a pained sigh that near resembled a wheeze, his face not visible to Ren from where he sat in the back, but he knew exactly what expression the man was wearing. After all, that was the same noise he always made when he talked about Futaba, at least before they stormed her Palace.

Despite the 15 other times he’s lived with Sojiro, Ren never really expected to find it aimed at him for once. He very quickly decided he didn’t like it. Suddenly Sojiro’s phone began to ring.

_ Speak of the Devil and she’ll appear, _ Ren thought as Futaba started going off on the other side of the line about how Sojiro had gotten the wrong printer. Not that Ren could actually hear her of course, but he’d probably memorized this conversation from all the times he could. In fact, one of the first things he did when he started looping was eavesdropping on several different conversations; he was really quite good at it at this point, if he said so himself.

Ren figured Sojiro deserved a break, and his day was gonna be boring enough as is. He opened up his messages and quickly tapped out a number he’d memorized _ years _ ago.

_ Why not try something new? _He thought to himself as he sent the text under a proxy he simply titled “J0K3R,” one Futaba showed him how to install in one of the wilder loops he’d been through.

** J0K3R:** _Aww, why don’tcha give the old man a break for once, Alibaba?_

Sojiro appeared concerned as he stared down at an abrupt “Call Ended” screen appearing in the middle of his conversation. He wheeze-sighed, setting the phone down in a cup holder next to him. Ren felt kinda bad. Only a little bit though, since the man’s gotten plenty of time with Futaba as-is, and he missed his little shit of a sister during his sentence.

_ who is this how did you get this number _ ** :Alibaba **

_ i dont know who you are but trust me when i say you can’t win a fight with me _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ Chill, I come in peace. _✌️😼

** J0K3R: ** _ I’m simply a passing Trickster, offering a few words of advice is all. _

_ uh-huh totally gonna trust the guy using emojis _ ** :Alibaba **

_ and leetspeak for a username? what is this, an early 2000s chatroom or smth? _ ** :Alibaba **

_ smh so hard at u in text that i’m doing it irl _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ I mean I’m not the one using the name of a master thief as a pseudonym... _

** J0K3R: ** _ But go off I guess. _

** J0K3R: ** _ I digress, I didn’t start this conversation just so we could debate usernames. _

_ right got a little caught up there _ ** :Alibaba **

_ what did you mean earlier? _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ Exactly what I said. _

** J0K3R: ** _ Try giving the old man a break, he does a lot as it is. _

** J0K3R: ** _ Plus I sincerely doubt you can’t upgrade that printer yourself. _

_ okay wise guy, we have officially gone from “annoying” to “creepy” _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ Just lookin’ out for him. _

** J0K3R: ** _ Especially since he looks like he’s on the verge of a stroke. _

_ looks???? _ ** :Alibaba **

“Shit.”

“Watch your language,” Sojiro scoffed, “We’re almost there and I can’t have you cuss at the guy holding your education hostage.”

_ wait are _ **:Alibaba **

_ are you the guy??? _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R:** _what guy_

** J0K3R: ** _ I mean technically I’m many guys. _

_ can it wiseass you know what i mean _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ What if I didn’t? _

_ im hacking your camera _ ** :Alibaba **

Ren was mildly embarrassed at his immediate reaction being to chuck his phone at the car floor, but he did not regret it.

“What was that?”

Okay he regretted it a little.

“Dropped my phone, sorry.”

“Well pick it up, we’re here.”

Ren reluctantly did so, cringing at the notification that followed.

_i fucking knew it_ **:Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ Yeah yeah, you’re a massive genius. _

_ you want to tell me how you’re good at hacking? _ ** :Alibaba **

_ last i checked, that little trick was not on your resume _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ What can I say, I’m a man of many talents. A Wildcard, even. _

_ that _ ** :Alibaba **

_ feels like a joke i should be smacking you for _ ** :Alibaba **

_ and i dont know why that is _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ Oh it absolutely is. _

** J0K3R: ** _ Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to walk into a festering hellscape now. _😿

** J0K3R: ** _ We can continue this conversation after I’m done being ridiculed for breathing. _

_ that is not reassuring whatsoever _ **:Alibaba **

_ in any definition of the word ever _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ It wasn’t meant to be. _

** J0K3R: ** _ Ta-ta for now~ _😻

<strike> _ you little shit don’t you even dare _ </strike> ** :Alibaba **

**ERROR: MESSAGE FAILED TO SEND**

Ren powered off his phone. He tripped out the car door, struggling to stand as his vision turned spotty for a bit. Despite this, his mood stayed rather pleasant, before he realized where he was, and all the joy from bantering with his little sister immediately died. He must not have been very good at hiding it, considering Sojiro decided to comment.

“Jeez kid, I know your situation isn’t exactly the best, but you could at least try to make the best of it,” He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he readjusted his hat, “Walking around with a scowl like that isn’t going to help anybody." 

“It’s hard not to be anxious when you’re about to talk to the man...” Ren paused, a wicked smirk on his face, “What was it you said? Oh right, _ holding my education hostage. _”

“Alright, can it with the snark, kid.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s a physical impossibility.”

“Well it better become a physical _ possibility _before we walk into that building.”

“I can only promise to try,” Ren said, holding his right hand to his heart while raising his left.

“God help us all,” Sojiro grumbled.

“God isn’t worth shit-”

“What did I _ just say _ about the damn cussing?”

“Right, got it, let’s not keep them waiting,” Ren said, already halfway through the door, “But fair warning, anybody throws chalk at me and I am letting them _ have it.” _

“Why would that even- You know what?” Sojiro sighed as they walked up the stairs, “Forget it, let’s just get this over with already.”

Ren softly huffed in response, before he pushed open the Gates of Hell. After entering the school it was a quick jaunt to the principal’s office. Ren wasn’t looking forward to this for a number of reasons, but he also knew there was really no way out of this if he wanted to move forward. With a sigh, he opened the door.

A woman who looked as exhausted as he felt, who struggled to pay her bills without her side job that could probably qualify as prositution on some level, and a morbidly obsese man with a brain the quality of swiss cheese and about three rats stared back at him.

So he was being a little dramatic, sue him. Ren entered the room and, in the most flippant and rebellious way he could, took a seat in front of the desk. At least he attempted to do so, probably looking like he collapsed into it instead. The sigh that told him he was probably in for an earful from Sojiro later was totally worth the effort though.

“...Mr. Amamiya, correct?” Kobayakawa scoffed, before he swapped it for a much more respectful tone, “And you are his guardian, Mr. Sakura?”

“Yes, yes I am,” Sojiro said, “I’m sorry we’re a bit late.”

“Oh, nonsense Mr. Sakura, I understand you’re a busy man!” Kobayakawa said and _ wow _ Ren already wanted to kill him. That had to be a record- Wait, right, the previously mentioned time he tried to choke him to death. That one held the record. 

Ren was shaken from his reverie when the talking lard bowl vaguely shaped like a person addressed him, “Now then, Mr. Amamiya, I hope you appreciate the opportunity you’re being given. This is a very prestigious school after all.

“Yes, I do sir,” He said as he tried not to hiss the formality. And then, before he could hope to stop himself, “I’m also fully aware of how you’re ready to expel me if I so much as sneeze on another student, so you can drop the niceties,” He snapped.

“What… Young man I have _ no idea _what you-”

“Principal Kobayakawa with all due respect, literally the only reason I’m here is because being the one to ‘reform a violent criminal’ sounded _ really _ good for your reputation,” He huffed impatiently, “I know why I’m here.” He turned to Kawakami, whose eyes had slowly widened as he continued talking.

“You haven’t said anything this whole time ma’am, would you like to-” Sojiro quickly shoved the teenager’s head into a bow before he could finish his sentence.

“I am so sorry for his attitude, he’s been on edge since he got here,” The man explained quickly, a mild flush on his face as he continued, “His probation officer nor his parents gave him instructions on how to get to his new living arrangements either, so he’s been stressed and exhausted from trying to find my house yesterday.”

Kobayakawa quickly remembered himself and shook his head, “Yes, well I suppose given the circumstances your… _ attitude _ is understandable. But still, neither myself nor the faculty of this school will tolerate such mouthiness any further young man, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes of course, thank you for understanding Mr. Kobayakawa,” Sojiro answered for Ren.

“S- Sorry sir, it won’t happen again,” Ren awkwardly stuttered out after he realized his mistake. Today… Really just wasn’t his day, was it? God he was exhausted, and he could feel his nausea from earlier begin to return.

“See that it doesn’t. Now before you go, this is Miss Kawakami. She’ll be your home room teacher. You’ll report to her classroom on the second floor first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Does… Does it really have to be _ my _ class?” Kawakami asked, eyeing Ren warily, which caused him to sigh, purposefully loud enough for her to hear.

_ Well fuck you too, _he thought darkly. Honestly the only thing stopping him from saying out loud was the genuine respect he held for the woman. And also the very real threat of him throwing up on the woman if he opened his mouth right now, frankly. He nodded without a response, hoping it’d speed up whatever was possibly left for them to say.

Kobayakawa glared at him for a few moments.

“That should be it if I’m remembering right,” He sighed as if it pained him, “You’re free to go.”

Ren nodded once more before he quickly shuffled out of the office, before he broke into a sprint once he knew he wasn’t in the Principal’s sight. He almost fell down the stairs in his haste, before he burst out the doors, his relief at being out of the building clear to see. He could hear Sojiro wheeze behind him as he just barely caught up with him

“Kid, what-”

Ren then proceeded to heave Leblanc’s signature dish next to the school’s entrance.

_ “Jesus Christ-” _

He was pretty sure a cat was dying somewhere nearby, until he realized the horrible choked wheezing was coming from him. His body lurched forward again as he retched for the second time, mostly just coffee coming up at that point. 

This continued until there was nothing left in his stomach, his lovely organs deciding to proceed with dry-heaving instead. A lithe, yet firm hand rested itself on his back and began to rub circles into it, the motion allowing his nausea to settle.

“Are you alright?” A _ very _ familiar voice asked him. _ Oh shit not this right now. _“Just take deep breaths through your nose,” Makoto continued.

“I’m pretty sure there’s puke in my nostrils right now,” He attempted to scoff, sounding more as if he were a chainsmoker caught in a failed attempt to breathe.

“Should you even be here right now?”

“I was meeting with the Principal,” Ren answered, still not looking at her, “Had to get introductions out of the way.”.

“Introductions? Ah! You’re the new transfer student then?” Makoto asked, before she saw Sojiro approach the two.

“Here kid, I had to grab some napkins from my glove compartment,” Sojiro murmured, before handing a couple to Ren, “You coulda’ just told me you weren’t feeling well...” He turned to Makoto, “Thanks for staying with him, can I ask your name?”

“Oh, I’m Makoto Niijima, Student Council President,” She said with a practiced smile, “May I assume you’re his guardian?”

“Yeah, he’s stayin’ with me while he gets his education here.”

Ren groaned something ineligible.

“And that’s our cue,” Sojiro sighed sympathetically, “Come on kid, get in the car. Sorry for this Ms. Niijima, I hope you’ll look after him while he’s here.”

“Oh of course, I’m sorry for keeping you. Drive safe!” And with that, the man tipped his hat to the lady and herded Ren over to his car, carefully settling him in the front seat. 

“Back to Leblanc?” He mumbled, exhausted.

“Kid, I’m not letting you sleep in that dusty old attic while you’re like this.”

“You’re kicking me out?” He slurred pitifully, his voice cracking a little.

“No I’m not kicking you out- Why would you even think that?!” Sojiro exclaimed, horrified, before he quickly lowered his voice when Ren winced at the shouting.

“Right, you’re sick,” The man murmured to himself, “Probably got a fever making you jump to ridiculous shit like that. Luckily there’s a doctor in the neighborhood, she’ll take a look at you when we get back.”

“Ta- No I’m not s’posed to know that yet...” Ren trailed off into murmurs.

“...Her name is Dr. Takemi, and after that you’ll be sleeping in a guest room at my house.”

“D- D’you even _ have _ guest room?”

“I do, I’ve just been using it as storage.”

“Why wasn’t I in there in the first place?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Sojiro said, just barely under his breath.

“Futaba?”

Sojiro choked and just barely stopped himself from slamming the brakes. “How do you know about her?”

“Texted me earlier,” Ren hummed to himself, “Protective.”

“Of who?” He snorted.

“You.”

“...”

Ren drearily patted the man’s shoulder, “You’re pretty great so it makes sense.”

Sojiro softly chuckled as the car slowed to a stop in the driveway, before he laid his head on the steering wheel. “Kid you met me _ yesterday _.”

“And what an impression you’ve made, gettin’ me puke napkins ‘n stuff. Not a lotta people…” He trails off, almost falling asleep before he continued, “...Are down for that job.”

“Holy shit, you kids are gonna be the death of me.”

“I hope not...” 

“Pffft... Come on kid, we’re here.”

“Mmm. Alright.”

Sojiro slammed the car door shut behind him, before he walked around to the other side to help Ren up.

“You must be really out of it. Come on, I’ll make you some soup before I get the doctor.”

“Soup sounds good...” Ren trailed off as a quiet yawn escaped him.

“Maybe a nap first,” Sojiro suggested instead as he opened the door to the house. He gently guided the teen to the couch, who promptly collapsed as if he were boneless. Once his guardian left for the kitchen, he rummaged in his pockets for his phone.

** J0K3R: ** _ sorry for inavding your space _

** J0K3R: ** _ ivading* _

** J0K3R: ** _ invading* _

** J0K3R: ** _ fuck im dying _

_ dying??? dude you look like you’re already dead wtf happened _ **:Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ hhhhhh god is an asshole sippy cup and he has an asphifization kink _

** J0K3R: ** _ asphyxaition* _

** J0K3R: ** _ asphinxation* _

_ oh my god stop trying to spell that word _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ choking turns him on _

_ that’s nice now go the fuck to sleep before you die of heat stroke _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ KAY _

_ you’re fucking delirious _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ accidentalyl hit caps _

** J0K3R: ** _ accidentally* _

_ holy shit man just stop already _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ goomnite _

Sleep hit him like a freight train, and he passed out before he could even set down his phone.

* * *

Ren woke to a gentle, sorrowful melody that seemed to come from all directions as he opened his eyes to a labyrinth of _ bleu. _

“Well you really fucked up this time, Inmate.” 

“Oh piss off Caroline.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L'or Des Fous = The Gold of The Mad  
(Essentially translates as Fool's Gold)


	3. Let's Go Out With a Bang

Ren took in the scene around him. An infinite black void encompassed his every being, the world around him eerily empty, unlike the cage he had once found himself in every night. He turned around, only to be met with various versions of what looked like the Velvet Room… Yet, not quite. 

A dark blue limousine lay parked nearby, which Ren found himself wandering towards, simply to peek through the window. Inside sat a tall, regal blonde woman, her near-white hair kept in short waves that went past her shoulders, pinned back by a velvet blue headband. Her crimson lipstick smudged on an ornate glass filled with a golden colored scotch.

“Her name was Margaret,” Justine softly murmured from behind him.

“Friend of yours?” Ren asked.

“Family, actually,” Caroline answered, “Our oldest sister. At least she acts like it, despite the fact that Theodore and Elizabeth were created first.”

“We haven’t seen our siblings in… a very long time,” Justine said sadly, though it was a bit difficult to tell with her usual tone of voice.

“Where are we? It didn’t feel like entering the Velvet Room.”

“Welcome to the Velvet Void, inmate. A- Although I suppose you aren’t an inmate anymore, are you?” Caroline muttered awkwardly.

“Think of it as the space between Velvet Rooms, just as the Velvet Room is the space between the dreaming and waking worlds,” Justine explained.

“There’s more than one Velvet Room?”

“Well, yes and no,” Caroline said, “You and your bonds aren’t the first to wield Personas, and this isn’t the first time an errant god has threatened humanity.”

“You aren’t even the first Wild Card,” Justine spoke softly, guiding Ren to what looked like the outside of an elevator, gently guiding his head to one of the holes in the aging metal fence door.

Inside, two figures lay draped over a soft chair, looking as velvetine as the room itself. Quiet murmurs were exchanged between the two as tears stained both of their faces, both sharing a pair of headphones connected to what appeared to be an old MP3 player from the early 2000s.

“As such, our Master has invited these special individuals to the Velvet Room, which as you know takes on the shape of the guest’s heart.”

“And… the limo?”

“I don’t know, that guy was weird! He just had to crush a card in his hand to summon his Persona!”

“... I had to rip off _ half of my face. _What did the other one have to do, dance a jig?”

“No,” Justine answered with a small smile, “But he did have to shoot himself in the head.”

Ren took a moment to make sure he heard that right. “Okay, he wins.”

“That depends on how you look at it,” Caroline pointed out, “He had to give his life to hold back the Goddess of the Night and keep her sealed away in Tartarus.”

“...Is that why those two from the room were crying over?”

“That and the loss of his alternate self as well.” 

“She was the most energetic of you all, definitely the least boring out of you silent brooding types.”

“‘Alternate’? What do you mean?”

“Exactly as we said, can’t you listen?!”

“We are getting far off base. We aren’t here to discuss the previous Wild Card holders.”

“Right she is, inmat- I mean… Honored guest,” Caroline grimaced at the change in address.

“Yeah, please don’t call me that, it’s way too weird.”

“Well I can’t call you Inmate anymore either! Margaret would have my head!”

“Besides, you are no longer a prisoner in your own heart, so as such you have no need for Wardens anymore.”

“And you destroyed that bastard’s shitty copy of a Velvet Room, and there’s only one way for us to regain the power needed to make a new one for you.”

“Okay… How exactly are we going to do that?” Ren asked, eyebrow quirked.

“_We _ aren’t doing anything. Justine and I don’t have the power necessary to fix this, not without our Master.”

“Luckily, Lavenza should be strong enough to recreate the Velvet Room,” Justine said.

“...And how are we supposed to get her back without the fusion area of the Velvet Room?”

In response, Caroline simply materialized her chainsaw

“...A chainsaw. You have a chainsaw you can summon at command.”

“Hey I don’t like it either but without the guillotines this is our only option of re-fusing us.”

“Wait, you want me to use this on you?!” Ren’s eyes widened in shock at what the twins were asking of him.

“I’m sorry Trickster, but yes,” Justine bowed her head

“No, no I can’t- I can’t do that.”

“Oh come on! You put us in the guillotine enough times, this should be no problem!”

_ “I’m not going to fucking kill you! _ It’s one thing with the goddamn g- guillotine, but I’m not going to- _ ” _Ren gagged and slowly lowered himself to the floor, breathing slowly and deeply.

Caroline and Justine placed the chainsaw in Ren’s hands, causing him to instinctually grab on as to not drop it on his foot. They placed their necks to the place, drawing a gentle shimmering blue vapor to slowly rise from the shallow cuts into the air, before dissipating.

“Please, Ren,” Caroline looked into his eyes, “You are literally the only one we can ask to do this, and our Master can’t return without Lavenza and the Velvet Room.”

“And you are most assuredly going to need his assistance in the coming year,” Justine finished.

His breathing steadily becoming quicker and shallower as he moved, Ren grabbed the string to start the machine with a shaky hand. He looked at them, and they smiled at him with a sorrowful grin. They otherwise looked at peace with what was to come.

“I’m grateful for all you’ve done for me,” Ren said, “I don’t think I say that enough.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Caroline said with a genuine smile, “Lord knows we gave you enough of a hard time.”

“Indeed,” Justine smirked uncharacteristically, “We quite honestly gave you hell.”

They both snickered at what was likely an inside joke he wouldn’t get no matter how many times he re-lived this moment. 

_ “Bonne nuit, Officières.” _

With a final steadying breath, Ren yanked the cord.

The rotating blades tore through the delicate flesh of their necks like paper, severed their spines like butter, and ripped their hair to shreds. The stands caught in the blade, but barely slowed down its horrible wrath as it ended the lives of the two girls he had seen so many times before. The only two that could ever understand his never ending agony as he killed them over and over and over again.

Velvet blue vapor rose into the air as it twinkled and bubbled, coalescing into a quickly growing ball of light. The remains sparkled and evaporated, going to join the rest, before finally being to form a humanoid shape once more. Descending, she landed with a twirl, before curtsying towards Ren.

“Welcome home, _ Ma Fée Velours. _”

“It’s nice to see you again, _ Mein Katastrophenkind. _”

“I welcome you back after a very traumatizing fusion, and the first thing you do is call me a furry?”

“For the record, it also means disaster child.”

“We both know that’s not the meaning you intended.”

“You know me all too well,” Lavenza scoffed teasingly. “I need to repair the Velvet Room now, and you need your rest. I’ll see you tomorrow night to give you your new key.”

“Goodnight Lavenza.”

“Goodnight Ren.”

* * *

Ren had the most glorious, elegant, _ peaceful _ wake up call of a broom to the face.

_ “Va te faire enculer.” _

“If you don’t start speaking Japanese and getting the hell up, I’m hitting you in the nuts with this.”

_ “T'as pas de couilles, Futaba,” _ Ren hissed. He regretted his rough tone when he heard a fearful squeal, followed by the girl shuffling out as fast as possible with a loud slam of his door, startling him off the bed.

Wait. Didn’t he fall asleep on Sojiro’s couch?

Blearily wiping the crust off his eyes, Ren blinked himself awake, proceeding to survey the room. He stared at the lack of dust on the nearby desk, and nonexistent clutter blocking his path as he unraveled himself from the confines of the many, many blankets he appeared to have been wrapped in. It almost looked like an upgraded version of the attic, dare he say it, an _ actual bedroom. _

Ren doubted he’d get to stay in it after recovering though. Especially if he got himself expelled or suspended like in a few particularly unfortunate loops he’s been through. Wait… School…

_ Oh fuck, it’s a school day. _

“Wait… I’m thirty-nine.” He buried his face into the soft carpet.

“Oh _ fuck, _ wait a minute-!”

Scrambling to his feet, Ren realized he was thankfully still mostly in his school uniform, his shoes and jacket folded on a chair tucked under the nearby desk. He shoved his arms into the jacket, and just barely managed to get on his shoes after having to take a couple attempts just trying to jam his feet into them.

Bolting out of the room, Ren tripped, tumbling down the staircase to the first floor. He felt blood drip from his nose, and wiped a bright red strip across his hand trying to prevent looking like he just got out of a fight with the hardwood flooring. He heard snickering from some distant corner of his mind, where his stock of Personas usually resided.

** _Ladies and gentlemen, the leader of the Phantom Thieves-_ **

_ I don’t even know which one you are, but shut the fuck up anyways. _

“Kid? You alright? I heard a crash.”

“Peachy,” Ren managed

Sojiro stared at him in concern and frustration. “You should be in bed.”

“School day,” Ren said.

Sojiro’s eyes widened in poorly concealed shock, “School d- Kid, you threw up just outside the school gates yesterday.”

“I’ve already got a bad reputation with the teachers, I don’t need to make it worse,” he scoffed, already halfway out the door.

“I called the school this morning, letting them know you’re not coming!”

“Guess they’re gonna be in for a big surprise today!” He yelled as the door shut behind him. As Ren started walking, his phone dinged

_ stop giving coffee dad a heart attack _ : **Alibaba **

_ you little shit _ **:Alibaba **

_ and get back in here ya nasty fucko _ ** :Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ no. _

_ don’t sass me you little bitch _ **:Alibaba **

_ i’m his first kid and therefore have superiority over you _ **:Alibaba **

_ the de facto oldest sibling _ **:Alibaba **

** J0K3R: ** _ keep telling yourself that. _

By that point, Sojiro had already made it outside and caught up to Ren. Ah, so that was her plan. Clever. 

“Making my way downtown. Walking fast.”

“Kid, what are you _ doing?! _Get back inside, I’ve got a doctor coming to look at you.”

“Walking faster.”

“What are you- You know what doesn’t matter, as your guardian, I’m saying you aren’t going out today! Why are you so desperate to go to school anyway?!”

“Let’s go with ‘not establishing myself as a delinquent more than they already think I am.’”

“Your record is classified, the only people who know are the faculty! No one is going to think you’re a delinquent other than them!”

“A little bird tells me otherwise!”

“You’ve been here for _ two days! _”

“I make it my business to know things!” he snapped, increasing his walking speed to a bolt to escape the man.

“Shit- Kid wait-! Goddammit he’s already gone.”

* * *

Ren breathed a sigh of relief as he left the station. He kept up his quick pace, as he was already cutting it close to when he was meant to arrive at the school. He prepared his phone for the meeting with Ann. 

_ She seemed to die the least in the loops where I brought her in first- _

Ren’s train of thought was quickly interrupted when he slammed face first into someone, his teeth snapping together as he roughly cracked his skull against another’s. Thankfully, he only stumbled a bit, whereas the unfortunate soul run over by him fell back onto the concrete, as far as he could tell by the sound they made.

Blinking spots out of his eyes, Ren shoved his phone into his pocket, kneeling down to make sure whatever he just did didn’t fuck him over for the next year. He takes in the ripped edges of their hoodie, briefly wondering if the holes are his fault, before noticing the weathered and worn strings barely holding the ancient-looking thing together.

“Oh, I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going are you alright?”

The other person doesn’t respond at first, focusing more on picking up the contents that just spilled out of the messenger bag hanging off their shoulder. Ren notices at least three bottles of what looks like medication of some kind rolling a bit further off. He quickly runs over to grab it, as it looks fairly expensive, and he doesn’t have the time to waste trying to pay off a stranger’s property.

When Ren picks the items up, he becomes mildly worried that he might’ve bumped into a drug dealer, as three bottles of hospital-grade painkillers isn’t something a person normally carries on them. Was this one of Kaneshiro’s victims? A quick cursory glance showed no twitching hands or darting eyes, so at least they weren’t high or dealing with withdrawal.

“I’ll just… Take those back now.”

Ren quickly realizes he’d probably been holding on to someone else’s medication for too long. 

“Oh right, sorry. Again.”

A long winded sigh, followed by a scarred and calloused hand quickly snatching the pill bottles from him, stuffing them in his bag rather roughly. And were- were they missing a finger? Yep, he had the first joint, but there was nothing past it. There had to be a wild story behind that.... 

This had to be the first new thing Ren experienced in awhile.

“Hey,” he said with a little too much interest in his voice, grabbing a pen and paper from his school bag and scribbling something down, before offering it to the stranger. “Here’s my number, in case any of your stuff’s damaged. I’m in a rush right now, but call me later and I’ll reimburse you.”

The person scoffed, their voice slightly muffled by their face mask, “I have no need for your money.” The glare of the sunlight on their glasses obscured their eyes, their expression unreadable, but Ren could tell from quite a bit of experience that that was a lie.

He winked. “Money _ or _a conversation. I at least owe you that second one for running into you.”

The boy(?) stared at Ren for a solid five seconds before nodding awkwardly, and walking off. It wasn’t until Ren left the station that a realization struck him. A voice he had long since grown used to hearing spoke familiar words in his head...

** _I am thou, thou art I…_ **

** _Thou hast acquired a new vow_ **

** _It shall become the wings of rebellion _ **

** _that breaketh thy chains of captivity _ **

** _With the birth of the Justice Persona,_ **

** _I have obtained the winds of blessing that_ **

** _ shall lead to freedom and new power..._ **

  


_ “Adults are only interested in using the young, while they simply do as the adults say.” _

_ Frigid, smooth leather gloves enclosed around his hands. _

_ “I’d bet we’d make a great team if we worked together.” _

_ A hot cup of coffee, almost as sweet as its sentiment. _

_ “It seems I’m unwelcome no matter where I go.” _

_ An icy metal floor, surrounded by an even icier sea. _

_ “I wanted people to rely on me… I wanted to be needed...” _

_ A heated, embarrassed admission. _

_ “Haha… I was such a fool.” _

_ A frosty barb. _

_ “Let’s make a deal… Ok? You won’t say no… Will you?” _

_ Warm blood... _

_ **“YOU CAN'T SAVE ME!”** _   
  
  
  


** Ḅ̸̨͓̳̲͓̗̪̣͕̗̻͓̙͕̹͈̙̿̋̈͆͆̈́̏͑̕ ̶̛̼̈̿̊̇̍́͝Â̷̱͚̹̼̬͕̪̭̮̲̜̤̥̝͗̌ ̵̨̛̬̲̱̤̘̳̗̳̺͕̬̻̠̺̣̣̩̳̘͇̰͔̻̒̌̓̈́̒̍̚̕N̵̡̡̛̰͇̼̭̻̠̭̱͍͗̆́̈̈̈̊̄͛̆̈́͗̄̋̚͠͝ͅͅ ̶̛̺̇͛̾͊̓̑͆̓̓̿̅́̎̍̿̍̇̈́̾̆̌̐̋͠͠G̴̢̼̬̩̙̩̬̞̠͈̬͇̫̹̻͚̻̜̞͔̮̋͒͆͌̅̑́͋̑̐̈͋̈́̄̿̔͆͗̄͘̕**

_ A cold body. _

  
****

“...Holy shit, that was _ Akechi. _”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonne nuit, Officières = Goodnight, Officers 
> 
> Ma Fée Velours = My Velvetine Fairy/Faerie
> 
> Mein Katastrophenkind = My Cat Child, meanwhile Mein katastrophenkind = My Disaster Child. (The difference is the capitalization.)
> 
> Va te faire enculer = Go fuck yourself
> 
> T'as pas de couilles, Futaba = You ain't got the balls, Futaba

**Author's Note:**

> Please join our discord!
> 
> https://discord.gg/jCA3DtC


End file.
